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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22899217">Café Noir</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/glorifiedscapegoat/pseuds/glorifiedscapegoat'>glorifiedscapegoat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>No. 6 (Anime &amp; Manga), No. 6 - All Media Types, No. 6 - Asano Atsuko</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>First Times, Grim Lovelies AU, Healthy Communication, M/M, Modern Fantasy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 12:21:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,032</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22899217</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/glorifiedscapegoat/pseuds/glorifiedscapegoat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to <i>Vitae Echo</i>. Several months after confessing his feelings, Shion wants to take another step in his relationship with Nezumi. But he's not sure if Nezumi wants to take that step with him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nezumi/Shion (No. 6)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>After a comment left on <i>Vitae Echo</i> by my good friend <b>sinewho</b>, I thought it would be a good idea to write a slightly NSFW continuation of my Grim Lovelies AU.</p><p>Now that Shion and Nezumi are in a relationship, this shows the progression of their relationship and the importance of healthy communication. I'm a huge sucker for representation of healthy communicating in relationships, so this is as much to fuel my own wants in the fandom as it is to provide fun content for everyone.</p><p>The first two chapters will focus primarily on the communication aspect. The third chapter will include a more NSFW scene, just because I know there are some people who are more interested in seeing the communication than seeing the smut. Therefore, in order to cater to both sides, I divided the fic into two chapters. It's been a while since I've written a two-shot, so I'm happy to do it!</p><p>Also, as I'm sure many of you might know, the title means "black coffee" in French. I chose to go with a French title as an homage to the original Grim Lovelies canon, as it took place in France.</p><p>The title is also a reference to a quote about good communication from Anne Morrow Lindbergh: “<i>Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after</i>.”</p><p>I hope you all enjoy reading my fics as much as I enjoy writing them! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the yard behind Karan’s bakery, Shion felt completely isolated from the Pretty world.</p><p>          Kronos was a small, intimate town, tucked away from the world of Royals and Witches. Shion had never known the conflict between other Witches, as Karan and the Stitching Witch had a strong friendship and a powerful alliance.</p><p>Shion closed his eyes and inhaled the fresh scents of Spring flowers. He and Safu were sitting on the fresh grass, propped against a single tree stationed in the center of the yard.</p><p>          “Nezumi’s at a rehearsal, isn’t he?” Safu’s eyes darted to the bakery. The wards speckled on the rim of the roof shimmered in the afternoon sunlight like dewdrops.</p><p>          Karan’s wards were powerful, some of the strongest magic Shion had ever witnessed. It made him feel safe, as if he were eternally wrapped in a warm blanket. Kronos was a calm city, unaffected by the territory wars run by other Witches and the Royal families, but Shion appreciated the extra layer of security.</p><p>          “Opening night’s this weekend.” Shion pulled his knees up to his chest. A flush of excitement burst through his body like a zap of lightning. “<i>The Taming of the Shrew</i>. He invited me to go see it.”</p><p>          “Oh?” Safu’s eyes brightened. “That’s great. He’s never invited you before.”</p><p>          “I know. Mom’s going to give me a charm, but Nezumi doesn’t think anyone will bother me. The Goblins don’t like the theaters here, and the Pretties are just there to see the play. I’ll be perfectly safe.”</p><p>          “Nezumi wouldn’t have invited you if he didn’t think it was safe.” Safu leaned her face back and let the comfortable Spring air dust over her cheeks and through her hair. “So, I take it that means things have been going well?”</p><p>          Shion’s lips drew back in a gentle smile. “Very well.” The past few months had been some of the happiest moments of Shion’s human life.</p><p>          “And Karan approves?”</p><p>          “She’s happy for us.” When Shion and Nezumi came downstairs the morning after that first night, holding hands, Karan had swept over to them both. She’d kissed each of them on the forehead, hugged them tight, and assured them she supported their decision.</p><p>          Shion had no reason to believe Karan wouldn’t support them, but hearing it from her lips had almost brought tears to his eyes. Shion hadn’t been able to do much except press his face into his mother’s shoulder, inhale the floral scents of her magic, and thank the forces that brought them together.</p><p>          “That’s good.” Safu drummed her fingers on the spine of her book. “So, it’s been a few months, then, hasn’t it?”</p><p>          “Yep. We started dating right before winter.”</p><p>          “Ugh, winter. Good thing Karan decided to make you human. Snakes don’t handle the cold well.”</p><p>          Shion laughed. “That’s true.”</p><p>          “And besides, Nezumi probably wouldn’t like you that much if you were still scaly.”</p><p>          “That’s not true at all. Nezumi would love me even if I was still a snake.” Unlike most beasties, Shion knew what animal he’d been prior to turning human. Karan had informed him, months ago, of his serpentine origin, simply because Shion had asked. Shion supposed it explained his white hair and strange eyes.</p><p>          “You’d make a pretty ornament in a tank,” Safu mused. “Lounging in the sun, curling up in a little pool when it got too warm, eating rats and mice—”</p><p>          “<i>Blegh!</i>” Shion shuddered. “That sounds terrible.”</p><p>          “I’ll let Nezumi know you think eating him sounds terrible.”</p><p>          Shion narrowed his eyes. “I feel like you’re implying something by that, and I don’t appreciate it.”</p><p>          Safu flashed him a toothy grin.</p><p>          Shion exhaled.</p><p>          “So, have you?” Safu asked.</p><p>          “Have we what?”</p><p>          “You know.” Safu nudged Shion’s shoulder with her elbow. “Done it.”</p><p>          “Done it?” Shion wrinkled his nose. “If that’s a Pretty reference, then I don’t—<i>oh</i>.” Shion’s face went hot as the meaning behind the phrase clicked in his mind.</p><p>          “There it is,” Safu said.</p><p>          Shion’s shoulders shot to his ears. The burning in his face and the roaring in his ears drowned out the gentle gusts of spring wind rustling through the trees above him.</p><p>          No, he and Nezumi hadn’t done anything more than a few exploratory kisses since the night they decided to stop hiding from their feelings. It had progressed to one time when Nezumi kissed all the way to Shion’s collarbone, nipping his skin and leaving a deep ring of teeth there that had quickly bruised over.</p><p>          Shion had never been more thankful to wear button-downs, though some feral part of his soul wanted nothing more than to display the marks for the world to see.</p><p>          “Should I take your blushing as a yes, then?”</p><p>          “N-no.” Shion leaned back against the tree, feeling the wood biting into his spine. “We haven’t done anything like that.”</p><p>          “<i>Really?</i>” Safu’s eyebrow arched, and Shion flinched until he remembered Karan had gone out to discuss Witch politics with Safu’s grandmother. “I’m surprised. Given how handsy the two of you are, I figured you’d have hopped in bed the night you confessed.”</p><p>          “Of course not.” Shion pursed his lips. “We haven’t—haven’t done anything more than kiss.”</p><p>          Safu clicked her tongue.</p><p>          Nezumi and Shion’s romance went about as slowly as their confession. The newness of it all seemed to shake them both to the core, knocking the magic inside their mortal bodies loose. Just being around each other, alone or not, was enough to send shocks of electricity coursing through Shion’s veins. Nezumi’s mere presence was like its own form of magic, and Shion was attracted to it in the same manner a mosquito flocked to a lantern.</p><p>          “So, what’s the issue?” Safu leaned back against the tree trunk and went back to flipping through her book. “Nezumi’s slept with people before. He probably knows what he’s doing.”</p><p>          “That’s just the problem.” Shion folded his arms around his knees. “Nezumi’s more experienced than I am. We’ve been together for months now. Things are going well. So, I don’t understand why we haven’t… you know.”</p><p>          “Hmm.” Safu flipped through another few pages. “Maybe he wants it to be <i>special</i>.”</p><p>          “You’re hilarious,” Shion said, deadpan.</p><p>          “I’m not joking. You’re the first <i>real</i> relationship Nezumi’s been in, right? At least the longest one he’s been in.” Safu didn’t lift her eyes, focusing on a single page of her book with such an intensity that Shion was surprised it didn’t combust beneath her scrutiny. “Maybe he doesn’t want to ruin it by going too fast.”</p><p>          Shion ran his fingers through his hair, curling the strands around his fingers. “I fail to see how sex could ruin the relationship.”</p><p>          “Look at it this way.” Safu shut her book and set it down beside her on the grass. “Sometimes sex isn’t always what’s best for a relationship. What if you don’t like it? What if you don’t like the same things, or even want the same thing? Have either of you even <i>talked</i> about sex?”</p><p>          Shion pressed his cheek against his kneecaps. He and Nezumi hadn’t discussed sex. Shion had just assumed one thing would lead to another and it would happen.</p><p>          Anxiety twisted in his stomach. He hadn’t considered that Nezumi might not like sex. He’d had it, sure, but if he’d never had a real relationship, then maybe Nezumi didn’t associate sex with romance. Maybe the appeal to a romantic relationship with Shion was that there was no pressure to have sex.</p><p>          Shion’s fingers curled around a loose thread on the seam of his slacks. Most of his clothing had come from the Stitching Witch herself. It unraveled at a snail’s pace, lasting through tougher conditions than Pretty-made clothing. Shion was wearing his favorite sky-blue cardigan and black slacks because he thought it might make him feel better.</p><p>          “No,” Shion said. “We haven’t talked about it.”</p><p>          “You should.”</p><p>          Shion turned his face and spoke into his knees. “That’s… going to be awkward.”</p><p>          “Probably.” Safu shrugged. “But you’re never going to get on the same page if you don’t talk. You want to have sex. You don’t know if Nezumi does. The only way to know for sure is to <i>ask</i>.”</p><p>          “But what if me asking makes him upset?”</p><p>          “Asking a question shouldn’t make him upset. It’s how you <i>react</i> to his answer that matters. Look, Shion.” Safu reached out and placed a hand on Shion’s leg, curling her long fingers around the loose bit of fabric there. “It’s important to talk about these things. If Nezumi gets mad at you for asking, that’s his issue. But what matters is how you respond to what he says. If he gives the answer you hope he does, then great. But if he doesn’t, don’t get upset. Try to understand <i>why</i>.”</p><p>          Shion closed his eyes. He felt guilty and a little sick. He’d been so focused on feeling anxious about the fact that Nezumi hadn’t tried that he hadn’t even considered there could be a reason behind it.</p><p>          Safu patted his leg. “You’ll be alright.”</p><p>          Shion shut his eyes and let the midday warmth wash over him. Safu had a point. Shion wouldn’t know how Nezumi felt unless he asked. Nezumi was secretive, but he’d opened up more in the few months since they’d started dating.</p><p>          <i>It’ll be fine</i>, Shion told himself, waiting quietly as the day ticked on. As soon as the sun set and the Pretty World was plunged into darkness, Shion would have to face his most difficult challenge yet. More terrifying and uncertain than those first few moments when his new human eyes had peeled open to behold the world around him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If you want to see some more awesome No.6 content and other random nonsense, come hang out with me on Tumblr: <b>https://glorifiedscapegoat.tumblr.com/</b></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>And now, here's the second chapter! The fated conversation between Shion and Nezumi. I am such a sucker for healthy communication in relationships, so I am excited to write a scene between them!</p><p>A big thanks to Lena for reading through this and helping me with the conversation itself! I was very worried about it, and I wanted to get a second opinion. Thank you for your assistance, Lena!</p><p>I hope you'll all enjoy it! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Shower's free," Nezumi announced later that night. He stepped into Shion's dimly-lit bedroom, already dressed for bed. A well-worn white tee shirt clung to his broad shoulders, and Nezumi scrubbed a thick blue towel over his dark, unbound hair.</p><p>          "Thanks." Shion grabbed his folded pajamas from the bed. He stepped around Nezumi, savoring the scents of the floral soap clinging to his hair, and ducked into the hallway. He hurried to the bathroom, past Karan's closed door, and ducked inside.</p><p>          Though Nezumi had showered only moments before, there was plenty of hot water. Shion dropped his dirty clothes into the hamper tucked beside the sink, making a mental note to do the laundry tomorrow afternoon.</p><p>          Beneath the hot water, Shion tried to relax. He let the stream ease the tension from his shoulders. His conversation with Safu played over and over in his skull, rattling like a trapped bee.</p><p>          "<i>But you're never going to get on the same page if you don't talk</i>."</p><p>          Shion worked a palm-full of floral shampoo through until each silver strand was decently lathered. He rinsed his hair out beneath the warm water, and then promptly poured another handful of shampoo into his palm and repeated the steps.</p><p>          He didn't feel clean enough. Even after using half the bottle of lavender body wash. The shocks of anxiety twisting through his stomach made him worry about the various unpleasant scents that might be clinging to his skin. Shion stood beneath the faucet until the water ran cold, and then he rinsed the remnants of the soap off and realized he was overthinking.</p><p>          Shion quickly dried off and dressed in his pajamas. He ran the fuzzy blue towel over his hair until it was damp instead of dripping, and then looked at himself in the mirror.</p><p>          His wide red eyes stared back, taking in the image of his trembling lips and pale cheeks. The bright pink of his scar stood out against his flesh, and Shion felt a strange bolt of self-consciousness. He'd never thought much about his looks outside of work hours. Professionalism and physical appearance had never been important to him without Pretty customers to worry about.</p><p>          "Stop it," Shion said to himself. "You're being ridiculous."</p><p>          Taking a steadying breath, Shion stepped out into the dark hallway.</p><p>          The bakery had settled for the night. Karan had retired to her bed hours prior, shortly after dinner, exhausted from using her floral-charged magic to strengthen the wards around her home. Rikiga, who had donated two pints of blood to help with her spells, was snoring like a bear in the guest room at the far end of the hall.</p><p>          Shion padded down the wooden floor, cautious of the loose boards that squeaked when he applied pressure. He walked past Nezumi's closed bedroom door, and his stomach did an excited little flip when he remembered that Nezumi was waiting for him in <i>his</i> room.</p><p>          Shion went to his bedroom and eased the door open. Nezumi was sitting on the bed, up against the headboard. His towel was draped over the back of Shion's desk chair, and Nezumi had taken one of the wedding planners to paw through while he waited.</p><p>          Shion stepped across the room, easing down on the edge of the bed. Nezumi drew his legs back so Shion could crawl to his other side. Shion made a thankful noise and shifted to sit beside Nezumi.</p><p>          "How're rehearsals going?" Shion asked after a moment of comfortable silence.</p><p>          "Fine," Nezumi replied. He closed the wedding planner and set it on the nightstand. He hadn't seemed that invested in reading it, merely amusing himself until something better came along. "Hell Week's coming up, so everyone's in a mood, but that's normal."</p><p>          Shion smiled. "I'm excited to see it. You're playing the lead, right?"</p><p>          "Yeah. I'm playing Katherina." At Shion's blank look, Nezumi exhaled and elaborated. "She's the titular 'shrew' of the play, who gets courted by a man named Petruchio, despite her apparently unfavorable reputation."</p><p>          "And you usually play female roles?"</p><p>          "I'm better at them," Nezumi explained. "Plus the director likes reversing gender roles. Tana's playing Petruchio in this one." His lips drew back in a bemused smile. "Which is <i>hilarious</i> considering she's a foot shorter than me. But the play's a comedy, after all, so it fits."</p><p>          Shion thought to the pamphlet he had on his desk. Nezumi had brought him one from his most previous play—<i>A Midsummer Night's Dream</i>, performed in the winter—as a gift. Shion had stored it on his desk with intent to pin it on his bedroom wall. The pamphlet featured a cast photo from the final dress rehearsal. Nezumi stood in the center, decked out in an elegant, powder-blue gown decorated with hyacinths and white roses. The light had caught on the sparkly makeup painted around Nezumi's eyes, and Shion's heart hammered at the sight of it.</p><p>          He thought of the other cast members, trying to recall them. He'd been so distracted by Nezumi's ethereal beauty that he'd blanked on most of the cast mate's faces. He hoped they'd perform that play again, so he could see it.</p><p>          "Which one's Tana again?" Shion asked.</p><p>          "The short blonde one."</p><p>          "Oh," Shion exclaimed, remembering the petite blond girl standing beside Nezumi in the cast photo, dressed like an angel of death with a mischievous grin. Her blond hair stood out against the black clothes, shining like a star. "That Pretty girl from <i>Midsummer Night's Dream?</i>"</p><p>          "She's a Goblin, actually." Nezumi's gray eyes flicked to the ceiling, as if he were trying to recall something. "We broke up after that play."</p><p>          Shion's heart stuttered.</p><p>          Nezumi had dated other people. Shion knew that. Intermingling himself in the Pretty World, Nezumi had formed brief connections with an assortment of folks during his time as a human. But Goblins? Creatures who walked the line between magic and the Pretty World? Shion felt a spike of concern shoot through him. He had no experience with Goblins—only rumors of their erratic nature.</p><p>          Nezumi saw the expression on his face, and his eyes softened. "We were dating at the time," he explained. "Kind of made the sexual tension between Oberon and Titania—I was Titania, by the way—a little more believable. We broke up a few weeks after the play. Not because things were bad or anything. Goblins are fickle creatures and aren't interested in anything long-term. I wasn't, either." He paused, looking over at Shion, and then clarified, "With <i>her</i>, anyway. So, it worked out."</p><p>          Shion blinked. "You've dated Goblins?"</p><p>          Nezumi shook his head. "Just Tana. The rest have been Pretties."</p><p>          Shion's fingers brushed over the comforter, bunching it up and releasing it. He swallowed a nervous lump in his throat. Nezumi's dating past didn't bother him, per se, but it added a bit of distance in their experience levels. Nezumi had dated people. Shion rarely left the bakery. Their feelings for each other were mutual and genuine, but Nezumi had ages of experience Shion had only ever dreamed about.</p><p>          Shion folded his hands together to keep from fidgeting. "And you've... slept with them, right?"</p><p>          "Not all of them," Nezumi replied with a shrug. "And I don't always date them, either. Some of them are just casual hook-ups."</p><p>          "You've never slept with another beastie, then?"</p><p>          Nezumi shot him a blank look. "The only beasties I know are you, Safu, and Inukashi."</p><p>          "So that would be a <i>no</i>."</p><p>          "A <i>hard</i> no."</p><p>          Shion folded his knees up to his chest. "Have you thought about it?"</p><p>          "Are you nuts?" Nezumi sat back on his hands. "I'm sure Safu's got a wonderful personality, but there's the small matter that I'm pretty sure she hates me. That doesn't exactly ring my bell."</p><p>          "Safu doesn't hate you—"</p><p>          "And <i>Inukashi?</i>" Nezumi shuddered. "Even if, somehow, you could look past the nightmare that's their personality, there's nothing in the world that would ever make me consider—"</p><p>          "I meant with <i>me</i>."</p><p>          Nezumi went quiet.</p><p>          Shion's heart stuttered, but somehow, he forced the words out. "Have you... thought about it with me?"</p><p>          Nezumi stared at him. Shion's anxiety spiked beneath his scrutiny, but he tried to seem calm and in control. This was a conversation he and Nezumi needed to have. Safu had been right. There was no going forward if they didn't talk to each other. Shion had questions, and Nezumi had answers. The only way to move forward was to share them.</p><p>          Nezumi's silver eyes flashed. "Are you jealous?"</p><p>          It wasn't a malicious question, and there was no animosity in Nezumi's tone. But the question struck Shion like a slap in the face, all the same.</p><p>          "What? No!"</p><p>          Nezumi raised an eyebrow. "Then what brought this on?"</p><p>          "I just—" Shion exhaled and covered his face with his hands. "I don't know. It's just been on my mind for a while."</p><p>          Nezumi didn't say anything.</p><p>          Shion exhaled and placed his hands in his lap. He tried to keep his voice steady as he explained, "I mean, we've been dating for a couple of months now and it never came up. I guess I was just wondering if it's something you'd ever thought about."</p><p>          There was a moment of silence between them. Nezumi stared back at him. Shion's heart hammered, blood rushing in his ears. He wondered if there was a better way he could have asked. A better way to start the conversation.</p><p>          If there was, it didn't matter now. Hindsight was 20/20, as the Pretties liked to say, but Shion had to work with what he'd started. Neither of them were perfect, and if he wanted to get answers—regardless of what they might be—then he needed to make his own desires known.</p><p>          "So, I guess the question is," Shion murmured, "do you <i>want</i> to have sex with me?"</p><p>          Nezumi winced.</p><p>          "It's fine if you don't," Shion said, so quickly the words scraped over his teeth. "If you don't want to, Nezumi, that's perfectly fine. I mean, I've been thinking that I want to have sex with you, but it's not just about what I want. Your feelings matter. And, if you don't want to have sex with me, then that's OK, too."</p><p>          "It's not that I <i>don't</i> want to."</p><p>          Shion's breath caught in his throat.</p><p>          Nezumi pulled his knees up to his chest. He was leaning against the headboard, close enough that Shion could reach out and touch him if he wanted. Nezumi hadn't tried to pull away from him or put any distance.</p><p>          "How do I put this? Sex is..." Nezumi shook his head. "Jesus Christ, I don't even know. It's just—it's not like I hate sex or anything. I don't. But I've never slept with someone I actually... liked."</p><p>          Shion's eyebrows shot up.</p><p>          "I mean, I liked the people I had sex with well enough, but I didn't, you know, <i>like</i> any of them. Sex just kind of became a chore. Something I did because people usually expected it." Nezumi pressed his lips into a thin line, took a breath, then continued. "But with you, I don't feel that pressure. I don't feel like I have to do something to impress you or keep you interested. You're happy with me, even though we aren't having sex, so I just thought, if you didn't say anything, then I wouldn't bring it up. It felt good to have someone like me for me."</p><p>          Shion's heart swelled, both with love and with a twinge of pity for Nezumi. He eased a bit closer to him on the bed and was pleased when Nezumi didn't pull away.</p><p>          "It's just… different." Nezumi leaned forward and rested his chin on his arms. It looked strange to see him so curled up into himself. With his hair down, he looked even more vulnerable. "This whole thing is new to me. I mean, I've been in relationships before, but—well, I don't think you could really call them relationships. More like casual flings because I was bored."</p><p>          "And you're not bored now?"</p><p>          Nezumi shook his head.</p><p>          "But you're worried?"</p><p>          "Not worried, exactly." Nezumi's fingers twisted around the hem of his boxer shorts. When Nezumi was anxious, his fingers itched to pick at something. "Sex has just been something mechanical. A way to relieve boredom. It never really meant much to me. But with you, there's a chance it <i>could</i> matter." In the dim light leaking in through the window, Shion could just barely make out the flush on Nezumi's face. "Or, there's a chance that it'll matter to me, but not the same to you, and then things will get <i>really</i> awkward."</p><p>          Shion blinked at him. "You're... worried about me not liking it?"</p><p>          Nezumi stared down at his toes.</p><p>          Shion exhaled, a relieved laugh bubbling from his throat.</p><p>          Nezumi shot him a confused look.</p><p>          "I was worried about <i>you</i> not liking it," Shion said.</p><p>          Nezumi gawked at him. He looked like a deer caught in headlights as the understanding that he and Shion had been worried about the same thing washed over him.</p><p>          And then Nezumi laughed. It started out small, just a weak exhalation of air, and then it grew until Nezumi pressed his face into his knees to muffle the sound.</p><p>          His laughter was infectious. Shion couldn't stop the smile from stretching across his mouth. It was absurd. That he and Nezumi had avoided the conversation for the same reason was ridiculous.</p><p>          When at last the laughter died down, Nezumi turned his face and smiled over at Shion. It was a soft, sleepy look. If Shion were to try to paint him in that instant, he would need watercolors to appropriately capture the delicacy of the moment.</p><p>          "I want to try, Shion," Nezumi said. "Just... not right now."</p><p>          "That's OK," Shion replied, giving Nezumi a warm smile that he hoped conveyed just how much Shion loved him. "We don't need to rush."</p><p>          Nezumi's shoulders relaxed. "I don't deserve you."</p><p>          "Yes, you do." Shion tipped his head forward and nuzzled against Nezumi's shoulder, his heart soaring when Nezumi leaned into the contact instead of pulling away. "We deserve each other."</p><p>          Nezumi exhaled. He withdrew his arms from around his knees. He then reached out to Shion—Shion's heart sang, and he reached back. Nezumi drew Shion close, their limbs tangling together.</p><p>          "Thank you," Nezumi murmured against his temple. "You know, for asking me."</p><p>          Shion pressed his face into the crook of Nezumi's throat and sighed happily. The ends of Nezumi's long, dark hair tickled his cheeks, the smell of the geranium soap creating a comfortable aura around them.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If you want to see some more awesome No.6 content and other random nonsense, come hang out with me on Tumblr: <b>https://glorifiedscapegoat.tumblr.com/</b></p>
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